


Knowing the Sacrifice

by CGHope5



Category: Roswell (TV 1999)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-24 13:03:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17704778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CGHope5/pseuds/CGHope5
Summary: Liz is visited by Future Max and has to break Max's heart to ensure the worlds survival.  Before he leaves, Future Max shares more with Liz.





	Knowing the Sacrifice

**Author's Note:**

> This short story speaks to two main moments in S2 and things I would have loved to see happen. I don't own the characters and am grateful to have found this show again.

Part 1:

“Look Liz,” he said gently as he took her hand. “You did what I asked, you just saved the world which includes your family, Maria, Michael, and” he paused and looked down for a moment. “Others.” Future Max looked away for a moment and Liz’s heart tightened as she saw tears in his eyes. 

“What others?” Liz inquired. From the moment he appeared at her window and told her who he was, she knew there would be some things left out. Parts of her future he couldn’t tell her and the weight of what she already knew was crushing her. Her and Max, married, happy. She would have died for just one minute of that feeling, but she wouldn’t risk Max dying for it, because she loved him too much. Seeing Future Max suddenly so emotional after the cold way he had been acting, made her realize how much he was keeping inside as well.

“Just others,” Max said quickly. “You did so well, I think that I will start to fade soon.”

“I wish you didn’t have to go,” Liz moved to sit closer to him. “This is the last time I will get to be with you and be happy, knowing what Max thinks I did. He will never trust me again.” Her voice broke on the last words. “Will you do one thing for me?” 

“Anything.” Future Max looked at her expectantly. 

“Dance with me? I never got to have my wedding dance.”

Future Max hesitated before standing up and holding out his hand. “Liz, I can do a little more, but I have to make a connection. I have been fighting connecting to you until now, but I know that I can trust that you won’t act on what you see from my memories. I want you to know what you gave up, but also what you saved.”

Liz looked at his hand and slowly placed hers into his. He gently tugged her upwards and with his other hand, touched her cheek.

The connection was instant and Liz gasped as the images flooded her mind. She saw the Café on fire, Max fighting with a blurry figure, and gunshots echoed in her brain. A gray headstone marked with Maria’s name, covered with fresh dirt and dark shapes huddled around it. Max holding Isabel as he cried over her lifeless figure. Her holding Max’s hand as they ran and ran until the air was bursting in her lungs. She looked at their hands and saw the wedding ring glinting on her finger, when the images changed and got lighter.

She saw herself in the jeep with sunlight on her hair, smiling and in love. She realized these were Future Max’s memories of her. She saw the top of her head, laying on Max’s chest with his arms around her as they slept in her bed after their first time together and felt the overwhelming desire unintentionally course through her at witnessing that moment. The next scene showed her in her cap and gown, laughing, then Max holding her hands as they said their wedding vows. He lifted her in the air when they were finished and kissed as though the world wasn’t about to end. She saw them dancing together on the roof of the café and noticed how different she looked, heavier. 

Liz’s breath caught as she realized she was pregnant and her eyes flew open. Future Max had his eyes closed and a sad smile on his face, so she allowed more memories to pour into her desperate to see more. She saw herself panting and huge as Max carried her into the hospital, her face covered in sweat and tears as she screamed and a new life came into the world. She saw a bundle of pink squirming in her arms as Max cried and held her and the baby close to him while they all laid on the hospital bed together. The Liz in the memory looked so happy when the scene faded and got dark. She saw herself crouched behind a garbage bin, trying to shush the crying baby and looking at Max, unsure of what to do. 

Then she saw the image that would haunt her for the rest of her life: her and Max, curled in a bed together as they both sobbed, holding each other like they were about to be torn apart. Without asking, Liz knew the baby was gone because the next memory showed her and Max running into the pod chamber and him kissing her as he was taken to the past.

Future Max let go of her hand and Liz opened her eyes again, seeing the tears on his face and noticing the grey hair and lines of sadness around his eyes. “Do you see, Liz? This hurts now and might for a little while, but you are avoiding all that hurt in the future, all the pain for both of us. You came up with this plan and it was the bravest thing you have ever done. Well, second bravest after being willing to have the baby of an alien.” He laughed but the sound held no humor, it sounded as broken as Liz felt.

“How did she die?” Liz whispered, not wanting to know the answer, but needing to know for her own sanity.

Future Max looked away, then simply said, “Car accident.” 

Liz nodded. The weight of all the memories were crushing her inside. She gasped at the physical pain that had started in her heart and was spreading through her veins. The memories were like poison in her heart and she started to drop. Future Max caught her easily and said, “Liz, you can keep these memories but you have to be strong enough to push them aside and move on. You wanted to dance before I was gone. When I leave, I will never see you in love with me again and that breaks my heart. Before that happens, will you dance with me?”

She nodded and he started to sway, still holding her in his arms tightly. Liz felt herself get stronger as they connected again and Future Max sent all of his energy and strength into her. He twirled her around and she was lighter, almost floating. Her mind flashed on the first time they kissed and then the picture of them on their wedding day, she opened her eyes and Future Max was gone.

Liz crumpled to the ground, holding her sides as she sobbed. Her heart was crushed for all the hurt she caused her Max and all the memories that would never happen.

Part 2:

Liz didn’t tell anyone, she forced herself through the days, thinking of a gold ring on her finger and a sleeping baby in her arms. She retreated a little more each day, allowing herself glints of happiness until prom when she couldn’t take it any longer. Knowing that what was happening was never meant to be and could essentially end the world, she broke things off once and for all. The day Max told her of Tess’s pregnancy she finally lost it.

“I saved myself for you, Max. I loved you,” she cried as tears fell. Inside, she knew this hurt but would ensure their survival, it was time to put her love for Max away for good.

“If only you knew what could have been. I have been dying inside for months, knowing how beautiful it was,” she broke and Max stepped closer to her and reached out to touch her arm. Anger surged inside of her.

“No, you get the hell away from me.” She said through gritted teeth. “I am going to tell you something I have kept secret for a while and it has been tearing me apart, but now that our future is gone anyway, I think it is time you know.”

“Know what, Liz?” Max pleaded. “I know you have been hiding something, you have been so cautious, so cold at times. What could you know that would have pushed all of us to this?” He looked miserable and Liz felt even more angry. He slept with Tess and he got her pregnant, so he didn’t get to feel miserable. He made the choices that hurt everyone and she was done with him.

“You came to me the night of the mariachi band serenade,” she started. Max nodded and she smirked. “No, not this you, Future you. Future Max with long hair and some wrinkles around your eyes.” Max’s eyes widened and she knew he believed her. “I was scared, but he knew me and he knew you. He told me about the future and what would happen if we didn’t end our relationship.” 

Liz paused, hoping she was strong enough to tell him the rest. Max waited for her to continue, “Max, the world was ending for him and it was future Liz’s plan to come back and warn me. I guess it worked because now your world wont end and the future is changed. You win Max. You get Tess and I get these beautiful memories of our life together that he shared with me that will never happen.”

“He shared them with you?” Max whispered. “What memories? Can I connect and see them?”

“Why, to torture me further? You don’t know what it was like, Max. Knowing about our wedding and everything, and not being able to talk to anyone about it.”

“We got married?” Max smiled and Liz noticed his eyes getting brighter as tears formed. “Liz, please, can I…”

“No, Max.” Liz stepped further away. “You don’t deserve to see them. They are mine and I am the only person who gets to have them. They are from a future that will never happen because of you. I had hoped that maybe we could find a way to make things different, but your actions have sealed all of our fate. I hate you right now. I hate you.” She turned to walk away as his face crumpled in anguish.   
He knew that she was telling the truth, she did hate him.

Max had killed any hope she had left, that they could stay together and still save the world. That she could still dance at their wedding and see the beautiful tiny face with long lashes and hazel eyes. She stumbled, lost in her grief over the baby she would never hold and dropped to a knee. A hand reached for her and she swiped it away, thinking Max had come to help her, but it was Michael.

He sat next to her on the grass and she started to cry. Michael hesitated before putting his arm around her and without planning to, they connected and he glimpsed some of the future memories. Liz wasn’t sure what he was able to see, but he quickly let go and the connection ended. After a moment, he said, “Liz, I am so sorry. How could you have kept all of that to yourself so long?” She shrugged, not able to answer without breaking down again. “You are the strongest of all of us, you know that, right? You saved the future, you saved our lives, and you sacrificed everything.”

Liz nodded, feeling too heavy to stand, but needing to get away from everyone. “Just don’t tell Max, he doesn’t have any right to those memories.” She struggled to her feet and Michael helped her until she backed away. "This has been too much to bear, I can't take anymore and if he knows, it will be worse."

Michael nodded and said, “Liz, I think you should tell him or should have told him a while ago, but it is your decision. Just know we all love you and I am sorry.” He started to walk away, but then turned back to her. “She had Max’s eyes, but she looked just like you.” Liz hung her head as Michael walked to the group that was across the lawn waiting for him. As he approached Max, he punched him square in the face and the whole group stood shocked as Michael stalked off alone.

Liz turned as she heard Max yell her name, “Liz, wait. Please, just let me see.” She didn’t stop and kept walking until she got home, then curled in her bed as the tears came.


End file.
